Access and Referral

      Criteria for Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) referral:

      Patient has active, progressive and advanced disease
                 
                      - prognosis is limited
                      - focus of care is quality of life

      The patient has complex levels of need which cannot be fully met by existing care team

                      - need within physical, psychological, social or spirtual domains
                      - needs can be patient, carer of health team centred
                      - help may be intermittent or continuous

      The patient has agreed to the referral

      The general practitioner must agree to the referral, if the patient is at home.

      If the patient is in hospital, the referral should be made, after approval, by the consultant in
      charge

      Patients who meet the above criteria should be referred by nurse or doctor for SPC assessment

                      - patients should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they receive care based on their needs.
                      - eligibility criteria will serve as both entry and exit criteria to SPC services, e.g. as a result of 
                        therapeutic intervention of re-investigation, patient may not be ins a state of active, progressive
                        or advanced disease  
   
      Referrals should be made on the hospice referral form with detailed background information on
      the patient and their illness.  State which service is require e.g. 

                     - In Patient Unit
                     - Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
                     - Day Therapy Unit
                     - Consultant Outpatient Assessment

      Completion of referral form is necessary for registration and prioritisation.                
      To download a referral form click here.  GPs can refer electronically via SCI Gateway.

      For 24 hours access to telephone medical and nursing advice call 0141 581 2000